00:28 Who is Damon Runyon?
01:50 Dr. Yung Lie background
03:57 Becoming Chief Scientist
05:05 Challenges of understanding cancer
08:22 The new focus on immunotherapy
10:18 Preventative medicine/Vaccines
15:35 Next generation of scientists
18:21 How can YOU help?

Sadly, cancer touches all of us in some shape or form.

An estimated 1.7 million people were diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. last year, and almost 600,000 people died from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Not surprisingly, this is nothing new.

Back in 1946, the iconic sportswriter and journalist Damon Runyon passed away from throat cancer but his amazing life's stories were transformed into the Broadway hit Guys and Dolls.

Back then, his friend, radio broadcaster Walter Winchell, went on the airwaves shortly after Runyon's death to implore "Mr. and Mrs. America" to send anything they could spare to fight cancer.

And the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation was born.

The foundation's goal is to help fund the research of young scientists. Since 1946, they have invested over $330 million in more than 3,700 exceptional scientists.

One of them was Yung S. Lie, PhD. Today she is the the first scientist, Damon Runyon alumna and first female to lead the organization, since it was founded in 1946.

The Damon Runyon cancer researchers have made extraordinary breakthroughs in every area of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Because they focus their support on the next generation of emerging talent who have unique insights to our problems.

We got to spend time with Dr. Lie and talked about the foundation, her journey and how immunotherapy is a huge focus at the foundation. It is treatment that uses certain parts of a person's immune system to fight diseases such as cancer and companies like Merck MRK , Bristol-Myers Squibb BMY , Gilead Sciences GLD , and Amgen AMGN are all investing heavily in it.

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